The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 24 (1st Charenton) · Chapter 2 – Chapter 4
CHAP. II. The Kings Commiſſſon to the Lord GALLAND.
AS ſoon as the Synodical Officers were choſen, the Lord Galland declared that by vertue of, and in Obedience to his Majeſties Letters Patents bearing Date the Seventeenth of April laſt, and verified in his Court of Parliament the Second of May following, by which His Majeſty had ordained that in all Aſſemblies of his Subjects of the Reformed Religion whether Coloquies or Synods one of His Majeſties Officers being of the ſame Religion ſhould aſſiſt in Perſon, and ſee that nothing ſhould be propounded or handled but only ſuch Affairs as were permitted by his Edicts, and that he ſhould make report thereof unto His Majeſty, He came now and ſate in this Aſſembly, for that His Majeſty had Commiſſionated him as his Deputy unto this preſent Aſſembly, as was evident by the Letters Pattents of His ſaid Majeſty, ſubſcribed by the Kings own Hand Lewis, and a little Lower, by His Majeſties Order, De L' Omeny, and Sealed with the Great Seal in yellow Wax, and Dated the Twenty Ninth of July laſt, which were produced and read, The Tenour whereof is as followeth.
Lewis by the Grace of God King of France and Navarre, to our well-beloved and faithful Counſellor in our Council of State and Privy Council, our Attorney General in our Realm of Navarre, Monſieur Auguſtus Galland, Greeting. We having Willed and Ordained by our Letters Patents bearing Date in the MonethMonth of April laſt, that our Subjects of the P. Reformed Religion might hold their Synodical Aſſemblies as formerly, and meet and treat about Matters of their Diſcipline, and that we would Commiſſionate one of our Officers of the ſame Religion to be preſent in thoſe Aſſemblies, and to ſee that none other Matter ſhould be Debated in them but what is according to our Edicts: Now foraſmuch as in the MonethMonth of September next, there will be conven'd at Charenton an Aſſembly of the Deputies of the ſaid Religion from out of all the Provinces of this our Kingdom: For theſe Cauſes we being well aſſured of your good affection unto our Service, and to the Repoſe and Peace of our Eſtate, we have Commiſſionated, and do by theſe preſents Commiſſionate you to meet and be preſent with them in the ſaid General Aſſembly, whether it ſit at Charenton or be removed elſewhere by our permiſſion, during the whole time of their Seſſions, and carefully to take heed that nothing he Treated or Debated in it contrary to our Service, or prejudicial to the Publick Peace. And in caſe any other thing ſhall be propoſed or Debated than what concerns the Order and Diſcipline of the ſaid P. Reformed Religion, you ſhall oppoſe and ſuppreſs it, and make thoſe Remonſtrances againſt it as be in ſuch caſes needful, and give us full and timely notice of the whole and of all and ſingular paſſages tranſacted in it. And becauſe of that confidence we have of your Loyalty and Affection we have Commiſſionated and Deputed, and do Commiſſionate and Depute you for this very end and purpoſe to be preſent in all thoſe Aſſemblies held by our Subjects of the ſaid P. Reformed Religion by our Licence at the ſaid Town of Charenton, without your having need of any other powers than what are now given you by theſe preſent Letters Pattents, which you may communicate unto ſuch Perſons as you ſhall think fit, ſo that none of thoſe our aforeſaid Subjects may pretend ignorance, you having received full power from us. For ſuch is our will and pleaſure. Given at St. Germain in I aye, this Nine and Twentieth day of July, and in the Year of Grace One Thouſand Six Hundred and Twenty Three, and in the Fourteenth Year of Our Reign. Signed Lewes, and a little lower, By His Majeſties Order.
D' LOMENY.
CHAP. III. A great Debate about this Commiſſion.
THE Letters Pattents being read, The Lord of Montmartyn, Deputy General of the Churches unto His Majeſty reported, that when as He and his Colleague the Lord Maniald were inform'd of His Majeſties Will as aforeſaid, they did what lay in their power by reaſon and argument to diſſwade His Majeſty from paſſing this Declaration, But notwithſtanding all that they did or could urge, His Majeſty was not pleaſed in the leaſt to heed or regard them, but cauſed this Declaration to be verified in his Court of Parliament. So that neither himſelf nor the Lord Maniald being able to do any thing more, they left it unto this preſent Aſſembly to reiterate their Complaints unto His Majeſty, and if they thought good, to tender their Petitions unto His Majeſty about it. The Synod deliberating in preſence of the Lord Auguſtus Galland about this Affair, and couſidering that by this Declaration of His Majeſty, our Colloquies and Synods were moſt unjuſtly charged and condemned for having paſt beyond the Bounds and Limits of their moſt humble Duty which they have alwayes deferred and payd unto His Majeſty in all their Conſultations and Debates, and moreover that the benefit of his Edicts was greatly retrenched, and thoſe favourable Conceſſions which His Majeſty had granted us were now as good as totally revoked, it is reſolved, that a moſt ſolemn humble addreſs ſhould be preſented to His Majeſty, that he would be pleaſed to maintain our Churches in all their Liberties, which had been accorded to them, and which they had ever heretofore enjoyed, and two Paſtors with two Elders were ordained to draw up the Form of the ſaid Petition, and Addreſs, and the Deputies of the Provinces, who have any Memoirs on this Subject, are commanded to communicate them. However this Synod being willing and deſirous to give clear, full, and unqueſtionable Evidence or their Duty, Obedience and Loyalty unto His Majeſty, they admitted the ſaid Lord Auguſtus Galland among them, that he might be an Eye and Ear-Witneſs of the Integrity and Uprightneſs of their Proceedings and Deportments, aſſuring themſelves that His Majeſty having peruſed their moſt humble Petition and Addreſs, and ſeeing and acknowledging the Sincerity and Loyalty of theſe Aſſemblies; he would be graciouſly pleaſed out of His Royal Goodneſs to reinſtate us into our former Liberties and Priviledges.
Every one of the Deputies in this Aſſembly according to the Decrees of former Synods did Swear and make Oath that he had not brigued his Deputation to it neither directly nor indirectly, neither for himſelf nor for any other. And this Oath ſhall for the future he taken by all the Members of our National Synods.
CHAP. IV. Approbation of the Confeſſion of Faith.
THE Confeſſion of our Faith being read word by word, and moſt carefully attended to and conſider'd in all its Points and Articles was unanimouſly approved by all the Deputies preſent in the Synod, who did all promiſe and ſwear that by the Grace of God they would live and die in this Faith, and that they vvould cauſe the ſaid Oath to be taken in every one of their Provinces, and that to the utmoſt of their povver they vvould procure and endeavour its Obſervation.
The Confeſſion of Faith being finiſhed, This Aſſembly, that they might teſtifie, as they vvere bound, their moſt ſincere Reſpects and Duty unto His Majeſty, did Depute the Sieur de Chambrun, and Meſtrezat Paſtors, and de Jurlatt and Rabbotteau, together vvith the Lords our General Deputies unto His Majeſty, to tender their moſt humble and thankful Acknowledgments, Submiſſions and Duties unto His Majeſty, and in the Name of all the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom to make proteſtation of their moſt unviolable Fidelity, and perpetual Obedience, and unvvearied faithful Service unto His Majeſty.